Again Miss Withers was reminded of the old story about the man on a train who played cards with His Satanic Majesty, and was dealt a perfect hand with all four aces. And then the devil led out the green Ace of Higgogriffs.
Palmer, Stuart. The Green Ace (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries) (p. 132). MysteriousPress.com/Open Road. Kindle Edition.
Miss Withers has nine days to save a man from the electric chair.
Andy Rowan is found dazed and unconscious in his car with the body of the beautiful blonde Midge Harrington, naked and dead in the backseat. Harrington, a little minx, has been having an affair with Rowan in her quest to become the next breakout showbiz bombshell. She’s tried beauty pageants and screen tests and slept with every man she thinks will further he career- including Rowan behind his rich and powerful wife’s back.
Oscar Piper worked the case and found enough evidence to convict Rowan and send him to his maker. The only problem? Rowan has one trick left up his sleeve. He’s rewritten his will and left all his worldly goods and wealth to Piper. If Rowan dies, this New testament will be splashed all over the newspapers, putting Piper in hot water with the police force for corruption.
The high-profile Rowan case could spell Oscar Piper’s undoing, but his hands are tied, and he has no jurisdiction to investigate. In steps his old faithful friend, Miss Withers, who never believed in Rowan’s guilt completely.
She digs into the four men of Midge’s past, their torrid love affairs, and the motive, means, and opportunity to do her in and frame Rowan. She moves in with Rowan’s estranged wife, who has been finacing Rowan’s many appeals with her millions, and observes just how deep Mrs. Rowan will go to save her husband.
The ending is a real twist and nearly leads to this being Miss Wither’s last case.
The Review
“Oh cursed spite,” she said aloud, “that ever I was born to set it right. Hamlet.”
Palmer, Stuart. The Green Ace (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries) (p. 100). MysteriousPress.com/Open Road. Kindle Edition.
Miss Withers has nine days to save a man from the electric chair.
Andy Rowan is found dazed and unconscious in his car with the body of the beautiful blonde Midge Harrington, naked and dead in the backseat. Harrington, a little minx, has been having an affair with Rowan in her quest to become the next breakout showbiz bombshell. She’s tried beauty pageants and screen tests and slept with every man she thinks will further he career- including Rowan behind his rich and powerful wife’s back.
Oscar Piper worked the case and found enough evidence to convict Rowan and send him to his maker. The only problem? Rowan has one trick left up his sleeve. He’s rewritten his will and left all his worldly goods and wealth to Piper. If Rowan dies, this New Testament will be splashed all over the newspapers, putting Piper in hot water with the police force for corruption.
The high-profile Rowan case could spell Oscar Piper’s undoing, but his hands are tied, and he has no jurisdiction to investigate. In steps his old faithful friend, Miss Withers, who never completely believed in Rowan’s guilt.
She digs into the four men of Midge’s past, their torrid love affairs, and the motive, means, and opportunity to do her in and frame Rowan. She moves in with Rowan’s estranged wife, who has been financing Rowan’s many appeals with her millions, and observes just how deep Mrs. Rowan will go to save her husband.
The ending is a real twist and nearly leads to this being Miss Wither’s last case.
Miss Withers sees herself as a Miss Marple avenging angel in this book and will do anything- and I mean anything to get Oscar Piper out of hot water. Her feisty, slightly acerbic nature shines against the moral peril driving the book’s action. A man may be killed, and she has no time to waste and no words to mince with the lovelorn men who have lost Midge Harrington.
Her interviews and investigation have a sort of madcap quality. She pretends to be a hotel maid and breaks into a room, infiltrates a band practice by pretending to be a groupie and talking jive—to hilarious effect—and pretends to desperately need dance lessons from a young lothario, all in hopes of finding out which of Midge’s men’s love turned to hate.
However, her investigation begins to spiral out of control when she discovers facts about Midge’s life that even the police didn’t unearth. Miss Withers, afraid of being sucked into a never-ending spiral of Midge’s old lovers, takes up a different tack and moves in with the over-the-top Mrs. Rowan and her nervy assistant.
This book is madcap. It is populated by really funny and well-drawn characters that befuddle and entertain me. I especially liked how, when each ex-lover of Midge’s gets exonerated, another pops up like whack a mole!
Palmer also adds a weird fun-house element: a man calling all of the people investigating Rowan’s innocence and menacing them with insane laughter. Mrs. Rowan’s histrionic and performative nature really adds a lot of levity and color to the story, which is rounded out by the growing tension between Miss Withers and Oscar Piper.
Piper, despite all of the new evidence, still firmly believes that Rowan is guilty, and this last-ditch effort to smear Piper’s name is just a ploy to stay his execution. Miss Withers believes there is more to Midge Harrington’s death than the police uncovered during their initial investigation and is annoyed by Piper’s refusal to get involved with the case again. Their love doesn’t turn to hate but is sorely tested in the nine days Miss Withers investigates Andy Rowan.
I’ll confess, The Green Ace stumped me, and I was shocked by the twist ending. I was especially enthralled with Miss Withers using herself as bait. I won’t give away the final climatic conclusion, but it elevates a great book, and I highly recommend The Green Ace.
Spring 2024 TBR #1: Behind the Green Door by Mildred a Wirt
Spring 2024 TBR #2: The Applegreen Cat by Frances Crane
Spring 2024 TBR #3: The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
Spring 2024 TBR #4: Death-Wish Green by Frances Crane
Spring 2024 TBR #5: The Case of the Green Eyed Sister by Erle Stanley Gardner
Hildegarde Withers Reviews
Miss Withers # 1: The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer (1932)
Short Stories by Stuart Palmer
The Monkey Murder by Stuart Palmer (1950)
Stuart Palmer Biography
Stuart Palmer was an American author best known for his mystery novels featuring the character Hildegarde Withers, a schoolteacher turned amateur detective. Born on March 28, 1905, in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Palmer initially pursued a career in advertising before finding success as a writer.
Palmer’s literary career took off with the publication of his first novel, “The Penguin Pool Murder,” in 1931. This novel introduced readers to Hildegarde Withers, a sharp-witted and no-nonsense schoolteacher with a knack for solving crimes. Withers often finds herself embroiled in murder mysteries, using her intelligence and observational skills to crack cases that baffle the police.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Palmer wrote a series of Hildegarde Withers novels and short stories, earning a reputation as one of the leading authors in the mystery genre. His works were known for their clever plots, engaging characters, and witty dialogue. Some of the most popular titles in the series include “Murder on the Blackboard,” “The Puzzle of the Happy Hooligan,” and “The Green Ace.”
In addition to his Hildegarde Withers mysteries, Palmer also wrote screenplays for Hollywood films, including adaptations of his own novels. He collaborated with filmmakers such as RKO Pictures and Paramount Pictures, bringing his beloved characters to the silver screen.
Palmer’s contributions to the mystery genre were significant, and his works continue to be enjoyed by readers and fans of classic detective fiction. He passed away on February 4, 1968, leaving behind a legacy of memorable characters and timeless mysteries.
Golden Age of Detective Fiction 
Leave a comment